Please Don’t Believe These Freelancing Myths

How many times have you thought of giving up your full-time job and taking up a freelancing option? Sometimes, in the process of being employed you go through a phase where you just want to quit work and do something on your own. Not being answerable to a boss at the office seems to be an attractive proposition doesn’t it? You will live a life of freedom and flexibility. Well, yes, these are the lucrative aspects of a freelance job; however, make sure that you have evaluated the pros and cons of this option thoroughly before taking the plunge. There are quite a few myths associated with a freelance job and we will outline a few of them for your benefit. You must go through this post to make an informed decision about your career. Make sure you have weighed the advantages and disadvantages of working as a freelancer and please don’t believe these freelancing myths.

I Can Work When I Want And Wherever I Want

This is one of the most common myths associated with working as a freelancer. You would like to believe that you will be able to manage the time of your day as and when you like, however, you must know that the projects handed over to you are coming from a higher authority and they may not have a schedule that matches with yours. Since the world is now a global village, your project might come to you from a part of the world where the time difference is such that your clients wake up when you are preparing to sleep for the night. There is always a TAT (turnaround time) associated with your project and while working on the project you will need to be available for the people who are giving you your work assignments. Unavailability during work hours can be off putting and it can be an issue if you are not reachable at a crucial hour. What you need to do is have a fixed number of hours set out for freelance work. You need to decide these hours realistically and must take a few hours out for your personal life. Give a clear picture to your clients regarding your hours of availability. Make sure that you have discussed the time zones, and work hours in detail. Always being available for work is highly unprofessional. Your personal time and vacation time must be a priority for you. Otherwise you will always feel overworked. This may lead to work stress and an uneven work-life balance.

I Am The Boss

Well, you certainly are your own boss, however bear in mind that the ultimate dictator of your work is the client who has handed over your freelance project to you. It is said “with great power, comes great responsibility”. You will need to take responsibility of all the tasks yourself. These may include taking instructions from the client, working on the instructions, creatively managing the information, handling the paperwork, legalities, taxes as well as marketing. You will be the head of finance, business, audit, taxation and human resources department all at once. You also need to keep effectively communicating with the client. You will certainly be calling the shots of your business but your client will also have a considerable say. After all, he is your pay master. If your client is a hard task master he can take away the fun out of freelancing. What you need to ensure is that you take only those work assignments that you think you will be able to handle. Don’t be over ambitious and take up too many projects. This may lead to unsatisfactory results and eventually to unsatisfied clients. For repeat business, quality work is a must.

The key to a great freelancing career is time management, organization and quality work. Freelancing is just the thing for you if you are able to multitask and organize your work properly.